English Premier League clubs voted on Thursday in favor of continuing video assistant referee technology despite significant criticism of the technology-assisted refereeing system last season.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) revealed that 19 out of 20 clubs voted in favor of continuing video technology, which appeared for the first time in the competition during the 2019-2020 season.
The English Premier League said in a statement: “Although video assistant referee technology allows for more accurate decisions, it was agreed that improvements need to be made for the benefit of the game and the fans.”
Six main points were identified during discussions with the clubs: maintaining the video assistant referee (VAR) technology, reducing the playing time delay initially through the use of semi-automated offside technology, and improving the fan experience by reducing the playing time delay and having the referees announce to the public on the field, to explain the consequences of the decision taken after Review of the video referee, more robust training on the use of VAR, to improve consistency, with a focus on speed and retention of accuracy, greater transparency and communication around VAR, and finally an awareness campaign on VAR for fans and all parties involved, to better explain the role of technology in the game.
The English Premier League confirmed last April that semi-automated offside technology will appear for the first time in the fall of 2024, to provide a faster and more accurate alternative to the virtual offside line, based on visual tracking of the player.
The League and the Professional Referees Association said they would continue to pressure the International Football Association Board to allow greater flexibility to allow live video and audio broadcasts during reviews via video referee technology.